Isaiah

Isaiah 61:3 indicates that one result of the Messiah’s work is to make His people “oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD.” This is an image of permanence, of life in God’s presence forever. John Calvin ...Read More

Isaiah 61:3 indicates that one result of the Messiah’s work is to make His people “oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord.” This is an image of permanence, of life in God’s presence forever. John Calvin ...Read More

When Christ came the first time, His primary aim was not condemnation. Condemnation was more of a secondary but inevitable consequence of rejecting His gracious salvation. “Whoever believes in [the Son] is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is ...Read More

Today’s passage is being fulfilled even as it is also yet to be fulfilled. The Gentiles are coming to serve Israel’s God, and many of us are proof of that. However, we are still waiting for the day ...Read More

If we are not careful, we will miss what is perhaps the most beautiful truth taught in Isaiah 53: the Messiah does not fail to save His people. He actually and fully saves them from first to last. Isaiah will ...Read More

Born in Adam, we are God’s enemies as long as we remain in Adam and are unwilling to obey Him. This disobedience must be atoned for, but only willing obedience can cover disobedience. When the Messiah went to the ...Read More

John Calvin comments on today’s passage as to why salvation through the Suffering Servant is so despised the world over: “The loftiness of the mystery is a reason why it scarcely obtains credit in the world. It is reckoned ...Read More

Dr. John Piper writes: “God’s own glory is uppermost in his own affections. In everything he does, his purpose is to preserve and display that glory. To say his glory is uppermost in his own affections means that he ...Read More

Those of us from Gentile backgrounds who serve Christ probably do not consider this fact often enough: We are fulfillments of God’s promises to His people. The Lord promised that the nations would serve Him, and as men and ...Read More

Today’s passage reveals divine election, for Isaiah speaks of a people who are precious in God’s eyes (43:4). This is not due to any good in them, given that the people are still blind to their sin ...Read More

The Jewish view of the Servant Songs is not wrong in what it affirms but in what it denies. Because Israel’s failure to be the Lord’s servant is so clear in Isaiah, the Servant Songs must ultimately be ...Read More

As we will see in the weeks ahead, the delay in God’s redemption that the exiles felt was due in part to their continued sin. The Lord would have to intervene in a powerful way to make His people ...Read More

As important as he was in God’s plan of salvation, John the Baptist was called not to exalt himself but to point to the Savior. That is our task today. As many have said, we are just “poor beggars ...Read More

Verse 5 of today’s passage indicates that in God’s salvation of His people after the exile, His glory is revealed and all flesh sees it. God does not save us simply for our own sake, even though that ...Read More

One commentator notes how Hezekiah’s failure shows the importance of a life of obedience. If we trust God only when we are in dire straits, like Hezekiah was with Sennacherib, but forget Him when things are good, then we ...Read More